About the "lightning-fast" fall of Afghanistan and "quick collapse" of Afghan security forces...
Here's a map of Afghanistan showing the areas that the Taliban either already controlled or were on the verge of controlling as of LAST WEEK:
They have been gaining ground for a long time.
If you read the peace agreement itself, you’ll note immediately that it gives the Taliban a series of concrete, measurable gifts. First, there’s an immediate allied withdrawal – down to 8,600 American troops (and proportionate numbers of allied troops) within 135 days. The remainder of American and allied forces will leave within 14 months.
At the same time, the United States will immediately and substantially reinforce the Taliban by seeking the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners by March 20. Even worse, the United States further agreed to a goal of “releasing all remaining prisoners over the course of the subsequent three months.” It will do this at the same time that it commits to the “goal” of removing sanctions from members of the Taliban that include travel bans, asset freezes, and an arms embargo.
The combination of the planned American retreat and the planned prisoner release would represent a substantial change in the balance of forces in Afghanistan. This would come without any agreement by the Taliban to cease hostilities against our allies.
Nine months later...
The Taliban have been encroaching on key cities around Afghanistan for months, threatening to drive the country to its breaking point and push the Biden administration into a no-win situation just as the United States’ longest war is supposed to be coming to an end.
Baryalai, a local military commander with a ferocious reputation, points down the road, "the government forces are just there by the main market, but they can't leave their bases. This territory belongs to the mujahideen". It's a similar picture across much of Afghanistan: the government controls the cities and bigger towns, but the Taliban are encircling them, with a presence in large parts of the countryside.
With U.S. forces on track to withdraw completely by Sept. 11 — and possibly as soon as mid-July — many Afghans, like Nazir, are happy to see their backs. Others fear chaos. For most, the fighting has gone on for so long that sides are irrelevant; they’ll give allegiance to whoever stops the carnage.
That increasingly looks like it’ll be the Taliban, which is in the ascendant across the land.
In the last six months, its fighters blitzed into districts around Kandahar province — Arghandab, Panjwayi, Maiwand and Zhari — as part of a nationwide campaign. Earlier this month, the Islamist militant group seized Dahla, Afghanistan’s second-biggest dam and an essential source of irrigation and drinking water. Though the government clawed back some of those gains, the Taliban has tightened its vise-like grip around Kandahar city, the one area in the province still under relatively uncontested government control.
In the two decades since, the Taliban have fought the Afghan government and its international allies to regain land and power. Analysts say the insurgents have been growing stronger for years. Now, as American and NATO troops withdraw, the Taliban appear even more emboldened and are wresting more territory from the U.S.-backed Afghan government.
Taliban fighters took control of a key district in Afghanistan’s northern Kunduz province Monday and encircled the provincial capital, police said, as the insurgent group added to its recent battlefield victories while peace talks have stalemated.
The Taliban have made further territorial gains in Afghanistan over the past day, capturing two strategic border crossings just days after the hasty departure of US combat troops from the country. One of the crossings that have fallen to the Taliban is in the town of Islam Qala in the north-western province of Herat and is a key gateway into Iran.
Taliban officials said on Friday the Sunni Muslim insurgent group had taken control of 85% of territory in Afghanistan, and international concern mounted over problems getting medicines and supplies into the country.
Has it really been a lightning fast, quick collapse? Or does it just look that way if you only started paying attention four days ago?
= new reply since forum marked as read
Always an oxymoron. 
Where did it originate? Moscow? Beijing?
Somebody have their eye on Afghan's rare earth metals or something?
Maybe cough up some b̶r̶i̶b̶e̶s̶...er...incentives to git 'er done?
If you were only looking at the controlled cities, you'd get a false sense of their actual influence. A Taliban "presence" does equal influence - as they are a known threat to those who go against them.
But if you looked at the areas of the Taliban having a "presence" you could see they were entirely encircling the larger cities, especially Kabul - where they had a strong presence.
They controlled the borders except for a small strip heading toward China and a larger one into Iran - BUT - they were present in the areas on either side of the strips. Strips/regions they had full control of in the week of August 13 2021 - as shown in the OP. Meaning they wasted no time over those 4 years securing their domain.
People entering Afghanistan across land bumped into that Taliban circle around the country at some point and the areas in beige that branch were mostly likely the usual routes/trade routes for goods and people. Meaning the Taliban moved freely about the borders - for goods and people.
This map is from August 2017
Mustard: Control
Beige: Presence
Red: Islamic State
If you look at the major red vein on the right side you will see a gray dot, that's Jalalabad. The next dot over is Kabul.
How Much of Afghanistan Is Under Taliban Control After 16 Years of War With the U.S.?
Only quick if you recently started paying attention. The Taliban were already there. They didn't have to take over or conquer or gain control - they were already there and waiting.
